An ovarian cyst is a pocket of fluid that can develop on an ovary.
Ovarian cysts are very common and can affect girls and women of any age. Ovarian cysts can appear as part of the way the ovary works normally. This type of cyst may not cause symptoms and does not usually need treatment.
However, sometimes cysts can be quite large and cause other problems such as pain. If this happens then surgery may be required to remove the cyst.
The majority of cysts in children and adolescents are benign (non-cancerous).
What causes an ovarian cyst?
The ovaries sit either side of the womb (uterus). Ovarian cysts occur when a pocket of fluid develops on the ovary.
There are two main types of ovarian cyst – functional and pathological.
Functional ovarian cysts are the cysts which develop as part of the way the normal ovary works. They are extremely common. They are harmless and usually disappear without treatment. They are always benign and often go unnoticed. However sometimes they can cause pain. This is usually because they twist or burst (rupture). Sometimes a small amount of bleeding can occur into the middle of the cyst. This is called a haemorrhagic cyst and can be painful.
Pathological ovarian cysts are cysts which are not part of the way the ovary normally works. There are several different types of pathological cyst including dermoid cysts and cystademomas. These cysts can grow and become quite large. As they grow they can cause pain. In addition they can also twist or burst or bleed.The majority of these cysts are benign but very rarely they can be cancerous.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome is when lots of small cysts form on the ovaries. They are caused by a hormonal imbalance and are harmless.
What are the signs and symptoms of an ovarian cyst?
Most ovarian cysts do not present any symptoms. But some can cause symptoms, including:
- sudden, sharp pain (which means the cyst may have burst)
- dull, aching feeling (which means the cyst may be large)
- bloated abdomen
- irregular or heavy periods
- frequent urination
- nausea or vomiting
Any sudden, sharp or persistent pain could be a sign that the ovarian cyst has burst. This can be serious and medical attention may be needed immediately.
How is an ovarian cyst normally diagnosed?
As most ovarian cysts do not present any symptoms, they often go undiagnosed. They may be spotted by chance due to an unrelated condition.
An ultrasound scan will confirm if a cyst is present and how big it is. The ultrasound scan will also be able to see what the inside of the cyst looks like.
Most functional cysts are filled with fluid only. Sometimes evidence of bleeding (haemorrhage) into the cyst can be seen on scan.
Pathological cysts are often a mixture of fluid and solid tissue. The scan can usually tell if there is a possibility that the cyst is cancerous. If there is a possibility that the cyst is cancerous, then more detailed tests such as a CT Scan or MRI scan may be suggested.
In addition a special blood test will be taken to look for “tumour markers”. These are hormones in the blood which can be at higher levels in cancerous cysts.
How is an ovarian cyst normally treated?
Treatment will depend on the size of the cyst, the symptoms presented and what the cyst looks like on ultrasound.
If the cyst is small and functional, then no treatment is needed. The cyst will go away on its own. A repeat scan is usually done in about six to eight weeks time to check the cyst has gone.
If the cyst is large or is causing pain then it may need removing at an operation. The majority of ovarian cysts are removed with laparoscopy or keyhole surgery. This means inserting a small telescope through the abdomen and to look at the cyst and remove it.
The recovery from this operation is usually very quick. In certain cases where the large cyst causes a torsion (twisting) or the ovary leading to gangrene (no blood supply) to the ovary. In such a scenario, the ovary along with the cyst will need to be removed.
If there is any concern that the cyst is cancerous then the ovary will need removing. This is also often done with keyhole surgery however sometimes a small cut will need to be put over the lower abdomen.
What happens next?
If a cyst has been removed at an operation, then laboratory test are done on the cyst to check there are no cancer cells there. If the tests confirm a benign cyst only then no further follow-up is needed. These cysts also rarely affect fertility.
If a cyst is confirmed as cancerous, then further treatment will be needed and the doctor would discuss this in more detail.
GUJARATI
અંડાશયમાં ગાંઠ
બાળકીનાં અંડાશયમાં થતી ગાંઠને ઓવેરીયન સીસ્ટ કહે છે. આ ગાંઠ છોકરીમાં જન્મથી કોઇ પણ ઉંમરે થઇ શકે છે અને પેટનાં નીચેનાં ભાગમાં દુઃખાવો કરે છે.
આ સીસ્ટ ઘણાં પ્રકારની હોય છે. મોટાભાગની સીસ્ટ સીમ્પલ અને હાનિરહિત હોય છે. વધુ પડતાં દુઃખાવા માટે બાળકીની સોનોગ્રાફી કરાવતાં ચોક્કસ નિદાન થાય છે. ઘણા ઓછા કેસમાં અંડાશયમાં કેન્સરની ગાંઠ પણ હોઇ શકે છે.
આધુનિક સર્જરી-લેપ્રોસ્કોપી દ્વારા આવી ગાંઠનું ચોક્કસ નિદાન થાય છે અને તે જ વખતે ગાંઠ કાઢી લેવાય છે. લેપ્રોસ્કોપી ના કારણે બાળકોનાં પેટ ઉપર કોઇ મોટા કાપા પાડવાની જરૂર પડતી નથી. •
HINDI
अंडाशय की गांठ
अंडाशय की गांठ अंडाशय के अंदर प्रवाही से भरी एक थैली होती है। इनमें अधिकतर कोई लक्षण नहीं दिखाई देते और ये हानिकारक नहीं होती हैं। कभी-कभी पेट अथवा कमर के नीचले भाग में दर्द हो सकता है। यदि यह गांठ फट जाती है अथवा अंडाशय में मोड़ उत्पन्न करती है, तो तीव्र दर्द अथवा उल्टी हो सकती है। कूपिक अंडाशय गांठ अंतर्गर्भाशयी काल में हो सकती है और जन्म से पूर्व अल्ट्रासाउंड स्कैन के द्वारा उदर में गांठ के होने का पता लग सकता है।
बच्चों में बड़े आकार की अंडाशय की गांठ के निदान और उपचार के लिए लेप्रोस्कोपी का प्रयोग नैदानिक एवं चिकित्सीय उपकरण के रूप में किया जाता है। बड़ी उदरीय गांठ के साथ जन्मी नवजात बालिका शिशु के मामले में लेप्रोस्कोपी सर्जरी को प्राथमिकता दी जाती है।•
